Something Missing
by samptra
Summary: Something is missing in Steve's life, unsure what, he finds himself looking in all the wrong places when he should be looking right in front of him.
1. Online Dating

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Marvel, I'm just borrowing the characters for a little love fest.

Story: Something is missing in Steve's life, unsure what, he finds himself looking in all the wrong places when he should be looking right in front of him.

Author's Note: An updated, freshly beta'd chap! I'm re-reading this one and I am a fan not going to lie! Thank you ravingbeauty once again doing a fantastic job!

Something Missing

Part 1 – Online Dating

Something was missing.

Since he had been pulled from the ice, there had been a dull throb in his chest. At first Steve thought it was just shock – after all, dying in 1944 only to wake up in 2012 would take it out of anyone.

But he'd had no time to dwell on the ache. He'd had a job to do, leading the greatest assembly of superheroes the world had ever seen.

Unfortunately that was easier said than done.

Somehow, though, they had muddled through and saved the world. And in the process Steve Rogers had managed to find himself a place in this new world.

Yet that indefinable something was still missing…

Sighing, he looked down at the drawing in his lap. It showed a young woman and a man he assumed was her boyfriend, walking hand in hand through the park. He had seen them this morning as he jogged by, his fantastic memory able to recall the image to perfection, right down to the way they had lovingly looked at one another.

"Rather world weary sigh, Cap," Natasha commented from her position curled in the large chair, her book held before her eyes.

Blue eyes moved from his sketch to look at her. "I guess," he mumbled.

"Anything you want to talk about?" the assassin asked, still not looking up.

He paused, uncomfortable with the idea of sharing his thoughts with the woman. He'd read her file and was more than a little leery of someone so astute. Added to that, Captain America was supposed to be perfect. He didn't have problems and didn't need anyone; he was a leader among heroes.

Steve Rogers, on the other hand, was a mess.

"I know what it is," a new voice piped up. Snack in hand, Clint entered from the kitchen, grinning as he continued, "Cap needs to get laid."

Steve gaped at him, mouth falling open as he recognized the terminology. Stark, his go-to for translation purposes, had explained the expression to him.

"I… no, I…" spluttering and incoherent, Steve couldn't seem to voice his thoughts.

Laughing, the archer jumped over the back of the couch and landed beside him, "I'm kidding, man. But honestly, you should get out there, meet someone. Granted, being the significant other of an Avenger is a little difficult, but a few dates won't kill you."

Steve blinked – he did have a point there. Maybe that was the emptiness he felt so acutely; maybe that's what was missing. Frowning in thought, Steve furrowed his brow. "I, uhhh… I guess. But I'm not sure how…" he confessed.

"Online dating," Natasha stated definitively, books set aside now that there was something far more interesting going on.

"What?" Steve looked at her, perplexed. He knew what online was, but was unsure what the whole phrase meant.

"Oh, that's brilliant," Clint joined in. "Where's your laptop, Cap?"

Curious, Steve pointed to the chunky machine that sported his colours. It had been custom-made for him by Tony after he'd broken the fourth one SHIELD had issued him. Sometimes it was difficult to control his strength and after the last incident Steve had dreaded telling the tech department he needed another one. Instead, he'd found the rather flashy machine waiting for him the next day.

Clint opened it eagerly, snorting, "Looks like a Fisher Price toy."

Steve made a note to ask Tony what that comment meant. He glanced down at his computer, wondering what was wrong with it. As far as he could tell, it was perfect. The keys were bigger to accommodate his large hands, the case was thick enough that when he dropped it nothing cracked or broke off… and even better than that, it was easy to use. Everything he needed was already set up – all he had to do was click and type.

Steve watched as Clint opened the little picture he knew was the internet. Steve liked the internet; he found it amazing that people today had that sort of information so readily available. He could learn anything in a heartbeat, see anything he wanted; it was enough to make his head spin.

"So, online dating… Should we use Plenty of Fish? E-harmony? Lava life? Match?" Clint clicked through the various sites as he spoke. Pictures of women flashed up on the screen, appearing as his quick fingers typed.

The blond was past trying to follow what was happening. "What is this?" he asked, curious despite himself.

"A lot of people meet on the internet these days. They e-mail and sometimes chat before meeting for a date," Natasha offered as she moved to lean over Clint's shoulder and watch.

"You meet women to date?" Steve asked, perplexed. "What about bumping into someone or being at a dance hall…" he trailed off at the vacant stares he was getting.

"No, I think we'll set you up with an online dating profile," Natasha stated, her tone ending the discussion. With no small amount of trepidation, Steve listened and watched with growing dread as they signed him up to meet women.

-#-#-#-

Humming in annoyance, Tony backed away from his latest project and idly scratched his chin as sharp eyes studied the machine.

Running a grease-stained hand through already ruffled hair and sighed. Something, somewhere wasn't tracking properly; he just needed to figure out where his calculations were off. Reaching out, he snagged the shake off his desk and sipped idly as he re-ran the equations in his head.

Goddamn Banner and his annoying requests to recalibrate his equipment – the man had all but shamed him into modifying his already cutting edge technology.

The sound of the door opening had Tony glancing up, eager for whatever distraction he was about to be provided. He already knew who it was – Steve Rogers, the only person he'd given an access code.

Living with the others at the Tower had definitely taken some getting used to; he always made a great show of being annoyed by their presence. Truth be told, though, Tony was thankful to be surrounded by people he knew he could trust.

Now he was never alone.

When Pepper had left him, Tony had found solace in the chaos and confusion of the house. He could still remember wandering to the kitchen in a daze…

_Pepper had said goodbye and left to give him space and time. She promised to stay on to run the company, but his heart was breaking painfully. He'd been on his way to get a bottle of something, anything, as long as it was strong enough to deaden the pain. But he had paused en route, hearing the commotion in the kitchen. _

_He had stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame as his red-rimmed eyes took in the chaotic scene. Thor was yelling at Clint, Steve between them, trying to placate the pair. Dinner was apparently coming, but the blond demi-God was hungry at that moment, and Clint would be damned if he was going to let Thor get some before him. Steve accidently elbowed Thor, sending everything into a tailspin, forcing Bruce and Natasha to intervene. _

_The genius stood unnoticed by the others, just watching, feeling like an outsider. The room was full of noise, laughter, and life. There were no promises of tomorrow for any of them, just the now. And the now was a bunch of misfits fighting over spaghetti. _

_Suddenly that bottle of scotch wasn't so appealing. He wanted this high. Stepping forward, he cleared his throat nosily, causing the others to freeze as he plastered a scowl on his face, "What are you doing to my kitchen?" Then they were off again, dragging the man into the mix. _

"What's up, Cap?" Tony asked as the man entered the room with his laptop and sketchbook tucked under one arm. The super soldier had a dazed look about him as he settled into one the chairs. Tony arched a dark brow at the other man, "Watching _The Walking Dead _with Clint again?" He was going to have words with the moron about scaring America's Golden Boy.

Shaking his blond head, Steve looked at the other man, "No, no… Clint and Natasha, they set me up with something about online dating."

That took Tony aback. He blinked quickly to mask his surprise, "You looking for a date? Should have asked, Cap. I know lots of lovely ladies." The dark haired man ignored the strange feeling in his stomach and chest, writing it off as overwork.

Steve blushed, "I don't really understand, myself."

Chuckling, Tony turned to his holo screens, "JARVIS, call up the Cap's dating profile, will you?" He had to confess he was rather curious.

Seconds later the profile popped up, showing a picture of Steve seated on his motorcycle, smiling happily at the camera. It was a picture Tony had taken just after presenting Steve with the vintage bike as a gift. Quick, dark eyes skimmed over the profile as Tony bit his lip to stop himself from chuckling. Under the "about me" section they had listed "old fashioned values." Good grief.

Scrolling down, Tony blinked at the counter at the bottom of the page. "When did you set this up?" he asked.

The big guy shrugged, "About half an hour ago, I guess."

Tony whistled, "Well, you've got over 200 hits already." At the confused look he explained, "Over 200 interested ladies have looked at this. Have you gotten any e-mails yet?"

Shrugging, Steve glanced at his laptop, "I don't know."

"Only one way to find out," Tony said as he joined him at the table. They booted up the machine and opened the Cap's e-mail, shocked to see he had fifteen new messages.

"Wow…" Tony muttered. Scratch that – on second thought, Tony had no idea why he was so surprised. Steve had great looks, a fantastic body, and a personality that screamed boy next door. He was the American dream; any girl would be pleased to have him. So why was he angry that so many women were interested in the blond man?

Steve was surprised as well and delicately clicked on the first message:

_Hey cutie luv the pic! Let's hook up!_

"Anyone who fails to form coherent English sentences should be a definite no," Tony supplied, deleting the message.

The next one had them both blinking. Tony whistled, impressed, while Steve just choked on his own spit. "Nice rack," the genius commented, reading the message under the picture of a woman's naked chest. Frowning, he glanced back at the profile still sitting on his own screen. "Apparently Barton set your status to 'interested in anything'."

Steve sighed, looking away. "I am so confused," he said miserably.

The inventor glanced at Steve, suddenly feeling bad for the poor guy. It seemed like harmless fun, but if it was upsetting him… "Do you want me to delete it? I can, no fuss," he offered as he deleted more e-mails that were looking for a hook up.

Steve looked at him from under long lashes, "I… I'm not sure… I think it'd be nice to go on a date. I never really had a chance in my time."

The soft confession went right to Tony's shrapnel-riddled heart. "Here, how about this one," he offered. "She would like to meet you for dinner." Tony turned the screen, showing Steve a picture of a cute, petite brunette sitting with her golden lab.

Perking up a bit, the man looked at the wholesome picture, "You think?"

Tony smiled, "What can it hurt, really? Here, you invite her for dinner tomorrow and I'll fix your profile." He passed the laptop over and headed back to his own screen.

After some deliberation Tony changed Steve's status to "dating." He thought seriously about setting it to "looking for relationship;" after all, Steve was the type to be in it for the long haul. Yet something stopped him – the thought of Steve being in a committed relationship was too much. Tony's mind rebelled and he felt like punching something.

Pushing away his frustration, he turned towards the big blond and chalked up his odd feelings to being overly tired.

-#-#-#-

"Would you relax? You're even making me nervous," Tony teased. Steve was currently doing laps around the lab as DUM-E followed along behind, clutching a glass of scotch in his claw.

"Sorry," Steve said as he finally sat, accepting the glass and downing it in one go. "That's nice," he commented with a smack of his lips.

"Should be," Tony said from the floor, where he was carefully tinkering with the inside of his chest piece. "It's from a three-hundred dollar bottle of twenty year-old single malt."

Steve looked at the glass in shock before setting it back in DUM-E's outstretched claw.

Tony glanced up at the super soldier; he looked nervous, but most definitely excited. "So what's her name and where are you going?" the dark haired man asked.

"Melanie," Steve replied leaning on one hand. "We're meeting at that nice restaurant two blocks away."

Tony nodded and went back to his work, trying not to notice how nice Steve looked in his black slacks and blue button up shirt, "Steve, I'm sure it won't necessary… but just in case, give me a call if you need anything."

Surprised, the big man looked across the room; the inventor was still focused on his work, but his tone was serious and honest.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, frowning. Worried now, he got to his feet.

"Nothing, never mind." Tony smiled at him. "Shouldn't you get going?"

Checking his watch Steve nodded, "You're right. Thanks, Tony, I'll see you later."

Giving his friend a wave, Tony went back to his work, telling himself that it was definitely not jealously flaring in his belly.


	2. First Date

Author's Note: So much fluff and so fabulously beta'd now for ease of reading much thanks to ravingbeauty for doing such wonderful work!

Something Missing

Part 2 – First Date

Steve walked to the restaurant, worrying about Tony's odd comment just before he left. What had he meant by "if he needed anything"?

Sighing, Steve shook his head as he approached the restaurant. Allowing the hostess to show him to the table, he smiled his thanks and settled down to wait. He glanced at his watch – ten minutes early. Nervously drumming his fingers, he kept keen eyes on the door. The appointed meeting time came and went; Steve began to believe she wasn't coming at all when she finally stepped through the doors. Smiling widely, mostly in relief, he stood as she spotted him.

"Steve?" she asked hesitantly.

Nodding politely, he smiled, "Melanie?"

With a charming laugh the lithe woman hugged him and gushed, "It's so nice to finally meet you!"

Caught off guard, Steve patted her once before withdrawing, reminding himself it probably wasn't outside of the norm; women were very forward in this time. "Have a seat?" he gestured.

She nodded happily, looking very ladylike as she settled crossing her legs at the ankle. "This is a wonderful place, I've never been," she said as she smiled widely at him, large eyes seeming to eat him up.

Steve returned the smile, feeling a little forced. "So, umm…you're an actress?" he asked.

Melanie tittered, "Just a few parts so far. I'm still waiting for my big break." The soldier blinked as she began talking very fast, jumping from this to that and back, chattering about anything and everything. It didn't take Steve long to figure out her favourite topic was herself.

Usually he was used to following long, rambling, and at times disjointed monologues from Tony, but this was different; for all his public bragging, Tony rarely spoke of himself in private.

The waiter's appearance offered a Steve a brief respite from her constant chatter. As they ordered, he was surprised with his date's treatment of the waiter; she came across as very condescending. Steve couldn't help noticing that she ordered a rather expensive seafood dish as well as a bottle of wine.

"You don't mind, do you?" She fluttered her lashes becomingly as she simpered. He wasn't in the poor house, but he wasn't frivolous with his money either – that was more Tony's department. Ever a gentleman, though, he smiled and let it slide as she continued talking about herself.

Sometime later she excused herself to powder her nose prior to dinner arriving. Flashing him her best smile, she winked heading towards the back of the restaurant.

Steve let out a breath as she disappeared; he could feel a headache forming behind his eyes. She seemed like a nice girl and all, but there was no spark, no connection.

Running a hand through his hair, he made a plan; he'd have dinner with her, say goodnight, and wish her all the best. Satisfied with his decision, Steve thanked the waiter when their food came, eyeing his steak happily as he waited for his date to return.

As the minutes stretched on, worry began to gnaw at the back of his mind. After ten minutes more, he stopped a female waitress, "Excuse me, miss. The lady I was with… she went to the powder room some time ago. Would you mind checking if she is ok?"

Nodding brightly, the woman agreed only to return moments later, looking uncomfortable, "I'm sorry, sir, but there was no one there." She gave him a pitying look that spoke volumes.

Embarrassed, Steve mumbled a thank you.

"Can I get you anything else, sir?" she asked gently.

"Just the bill, please," he responded. Appetite gone, Steve just wanted to go home; he had never been more embarrassed in his life. The date was a bust; the woman left before dinner even came.

The soldier stared at his hands, barely glancing up as the check was delivered. Sighing, he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet, frowning when he couldn't find it; he could have sworn he'd put his wallet there. Then Steve tried his other pocket, finding his phone, but no wallet and no cash. Stunned, he checked his coat pockets as the truth slowly sunk in – his wallet wasn't there.

Groaning, he slumped forward; this night couldn't get any worse.

Steve was beyond embarrassed. Humiliated and low, he felt reluctant to call for help. Then a glimmer of hope crossed his mind – he could just charge the meal to the Stark account and pay Tony back later. He could have sworn though he'd put his wallet in his pocket.

The original waiter returned and Steve cleared his throat, "Could I, ummm… charge this to Tony Stark's account, please?" he asked hesitantly.

The server looked at him impassively for a moment, "Let me get my manager."

Steve wanted to curl up and die as the server spoke to a severe woman in a smart suit. They both turned and looked pointedly at him; then she approached, fake smile on her pretty face.

"Hello, sir. I understand you would like to charge your bill to Mr. Stark, but we would appreciate it if you would just pay for the meal," she said calmly.

Steve swallowed thickly, "I seem to have misplaced my wallet."

Her look got a lot colder, "Sir, if you cannot pay, we will be forced to contact the authorities."

Shocked, Steve stuttered, "No-no need… I'll… just a moment," as he pulled out his cell phone. Hands trembling, he felt somewhat outside himself; was this really happening? He pressed the talk button, calling Tony as the manager watched him closely.

It rang twice, the billionaire picking up on the third ring, "Hey, Rogers, how's the date going?" Steve opened his mouth, closing it again as a small whimper took him by surprise. "Steve, what is it? Are you ok?"

Tears of frustration were threatening to fall. "No," he whispered, barely holding himself together.

Tony asked nothing more. "I'll be there in five minutes," he assured Steve.

Thankful, Steve looked down at the phone for a moment before slowly glancing up at the manager, "My friend is coming." Satisfied she moved away from him, but not far.

Steve closed his eyes and tried to breathe; things hadn't gone this badly since his pre-serum days.

-#-#-#-

Tony was worried, all sorts of terrible scenarios running though his mind. Panicked, he didn't even bother to change before leaving, just threw a black hood over his white tank. Arc reactor concealed, he jumped in his convertible and peeled out on the way to the restaurant.

Pulling up before the place, Tony tossed his keys to the valet as the man glanced from his torn and dirty jeans to the six-figure car; from the look he got, the kid probably thought the car was stolen. Tony arched a brow as he stared him down. "Just park it," he growled as he moved into the establishment proper.

Tony spotted the despondent figure immediately, his heart turning over painfully at the sight. He barely registered the untouched meals as he focused entirely on the blond, "Steve?"

Suspiciously moist eyes looked up at him, Steve's relief a palpable thing. "Tony," Steve stood, wanting to hug the man desperately.

"What's wrong?" Tony asked, not missing the icy look from a woman who was clearly the manager.

"I… she left, went to the bathroom and left. Then my wallet was gone, and I thought maybe I could charge it to you and pay you back, but they didn't believe me, and they wanted money. They said they would call the authorities." It all came out in a tangled, rambling jumble but Tony got the gist, immediately angry.

"Don't worry, I got this," Tony comforted. Then he turned to stalk directly towards the manager. Steve followed meekly after, feeling rather small next to the confident, larger than life man.

The woman eyed Tony warily. "Are you here to settle the bill?" she asked.

Dark eyes pinned her with a chilling glare, full of disdain, a look he rarely used. Pulling out a thick, black Amex card, he handed it over. The woman raised an eyebrow as she accepted it; few people had cards with unlimited credit.

Then, glancing at the name, she froze. Eyes widening in horror, she slowly looked up at the billionaire again, "Mr. Stark, I umm… I am…" She stumbled all over herself, realizing the utter faux pas she had committed.

Tony crossed his arms over his chest, "Yes, and you have treated my good friend extremely poorly. I don't think that I or any of my friends will be returning to this establishment."

The woman was all but weeping now, "I am so sorry Mr. Stark, we didn't know."

Causally glancing at his dirty hands, Tony shrugged, "Not my problem. But I will make it my problem if you do not give Captain Steve Rogers, a war veteran, a patriot, and a close personal friend of mine, an apology."

Nodding, she turned to the blond, "I am so sorry, Captain Rogers. Please accept my sincere apologies. May we offer you a free visit in the future?"

Steve watched, amazed, as Tony calmly and effortlessly put the woman in her place. He wasn't a vindictive man by nature, but it was a little gratifying to see after the kind of night he'd had. He also couldn't help the warmth that filled his chest at Tony's words.

Accepting the apology, Steve watched as the lady scuttled off to run the card. Still stone-faced, Tony quickly winked at him before turning back, looking unruffled by the whole episode.

Bill paid, they headed out of the restaurant and back to the car, where Steve was finally able to collapse in relief.

"So… how was your night?" the dark haired man teased.

Steve groaned, closing his eyes. "Awful night," he mumbled, his sentiment echoed by the loud growling of his stomach.

Chuckling, Tony glanced at him, "Didn't even get to eat? I'm pretty hungry myself. Let's go get something, shall we?" Steve smiled wanly as Tony headed for a greasy spoon diner several blocks away. "This place has the best burgers, I promise," Tony assured him.

As Steve listened to the smaller man chatter away, he began to feel calmer, more collected, and more confused by the whole chain of events.

After parking they headed in and settled in a corner booth of the bustling diner. Steve's stomach growled even louder as he caught a whiff of something delicious and no doubt greasy. Laughing, the inventor glanced at his companion amused, "You're always hungry."

Steve looked almost forlorn, "One of the more annoying side effects of the serum."

Still chuckling Tony glanced at the menu, well aware of the amount of food Steve put away. He made it a point to ensure the kitchen was well stocked, though he was still trying to figure out who ate more, Thor or Steve.

The waitress came over, pen and paper in hand. "What can I get you boys?" she asked, snapping her gum. They both ordered burgers, fries, and beer, Tony giving the older woman a charming smile that had her blushing like a schoolgirl.

Leaning back, Tony stretched out in the booth casually, watching the man before him; Steve was worrying over something. "What's on your mind, Spangles?" he asked.

Blue eyes regarded him for a moment, "I was just thinking… I'm sure I brought my wallet tonight."

Tony hummed in agreement, "You did. I'm pretty sure you were the victim of a scam, Steve."

Shock registered on his handsome face, "Scam?"

"Yup," Tony nodded as he sipped his water. "Your date, no doubt, has done this before. Probably picks out men online, sets up a date, and steals their wallets. You said she went to the bathroom and never came back, right?"

The man from another time looked utterly scandalized. "A woman?" he breathed.

"Yeah, a woman," Tony repeated. He sometimes forgot Steve had only been awake a year. He had adapted so well to this time, but he still retained much of the naivety of his own time. "A woman can be just as conniving and scheming a criminal as a man."

Steve nodded slowly; he supposed that could be true. He had always respected strong women in his time; it stood to reason that there were not-so-nice women in the world, too.

"I'm sorry, Steve, for not warning you…" Tony apologized; he had been feeling guilty since the man had left earlier that night. "There are some dangers associated with meeting people online."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

As the meal came then and they dug in, Tony explained, "The advent of widespread internet use had been both enlightening and terrifying. It allows users anonymity; you can be anyone or anything online."

Steve chewed thoughtfully, quickly understanding, "People can lie about who they are."

The dark haired man grinned, "You got it, Cap. And I think we should put an end to 'Melanie' and her scam." Pulling out his phone, he quickly tapped it a few times before setting the device aside.

"What are you going to do?" Steve asked with a smile.

Grinning, the genius took a swig of his beer, "Trace her computer's IP address. Shame on her for stealing from Captain America."

After they finished dinner, Tony watched with a wistful smile as Steve ate dessert; if Steve's face was anything to go by, each bite of cheesecake was practically orgasmic. Captain America, he had noticed, had serious sweet tooth.

A beep interrupted his thoughts as his phone completed the trace. Grinning, he held it up so Steve could see the screen, "We got her."

After paying the bill they were off, headed for an address in a rather nice part of the city. The apartment building even had a doorman who eyed them balefully. Tony Stark, however, weaved his magic and soon they were headed to the tenth floor.

Standing outside the door, dark eyes met blue as Tony knocked jauntily on the wood.

"Just a minute, baby!" the voice called from inside. Then the door opened and Steve was once more face to face with his date. Eyes wide, she froze in shock and stared at the two men on her doorstep.

"Not 'baby,'" Tony smirked and arched a dark eyebrow.

Gathering herself, she was about to slam the door when Tony grabbed it, "Nope." Terrified she backed away, wringing her hands. Steve felt bad for scaring her, still a little unsure if Tony was right about her stealing it.

"Look," Tony said. "We're not here to scare you, we just want the big guy's wallet back." Her face fell and her shoulders slumped as she dragged her feet over to her purse; the blond surprised when she did indeed pull out his wallet.

Reluctantly she handed it over, eyeing Tony speculatively. "You're Tony Stark, aren't you?" she asked, all traces of fear gone.

"Don't even think about it," he said, moving away from the door. "I expect to see your profile gone from that dating website by tomorrow or the police will be getting an anonymous e-mail about a scam being run through a dating site."

Her face twisted into something ugly, her fun apparently ruined. Crossing her arms defensively, she dismissed them, "Yeah, fine. Whatever."

Tony gave her a winning smile, "Goodnight then, Stephanie." She jolted, all but slamming the door in their faces.

Finished, they moved towards the elevators, Steve still staring at his wallet in his hands.

Tony said nothing, just allowing Steve time to process as they headed back to the Tower.

Steve finally found his voice again as they parked. "Thank you, Tony… for tonight…"

"I hope it doesn't put you off dating," the shorter man said with a reassuring smile.

Steve snorted, "No, I just need to be careful, I guess."

Tony patted his leg, "That's the spirit." As he exited the car, Steve looked at the place on his knee Tony had touched, feeling a little tingly and nice. Then the pair headed up towards their rooms, bidding one another good night as they parted.

-#-#-#-

That night Steve lay in bed, mulling over the events of the evening. It hadn't started out very well, but he couldn't be upset; dinner with Tony had been nice.

A small smile crossed his face as he fell asleep thinking about the genius.

Down the hall in his room Tony sat propped up in bed, absently scratching his chest and tapping away at his tablet.

Tonight had been… well, he wasn't sure what tonight had been. Eye opening? A revelation?

It had turned out to be a pleasant evening, the nicest date he'd been on in a long time. Pausing in his work, his mind latched onto the terminology he'd used – "date." Had he been on a date with Captain America tonight?

Such a question should have brought automatic denial, rejection, but it didn't. Tony Stark didn't mind at all.


	3. Second Date

Author's Note: I'm going to apologize in advance, I don't want any flames from Twilight fans, this is a work of fiction and that's exactly what it's supposed to be. It's all for plot purpose and I do not mean to offend anyone who perhaps enjoy any of the sub cultures mentioned.

Other than that enjoy and many thanks to my wonderful beta ravingbeauty whom makes it all look so effortless.

Something Missing

Part 3 – Second Date 

"So, how was the date?" Clint asked eagerly as he joined Steve at the kitchen table the next morning. The super soldier was in his usual spot reading an actual newspaper; everyone else thought it was an utter waste of money, unable to figure out why Tony kept up the subscription.

Steve winced, face hidden behind the pages. He had known the question was coming, but it was embarrassing all the same. Sighing, he lowered the newsprint and looked at the eager man, "Terrible."

The archer looked surprised, "How so?"

Steve decided to go with the condensed version, "She ordered her dinner, went to the bathroom, and never came back. And somewhere in there she stole my wallet." It was almost worth it to see the look on Clint's face.

After staring a moment, Clint started fuming, "We need to get it back! We'll find her, Steve… I can't believe…"

Clint was still rambling and working himself into a fine snit when Steve cut him off, "It's fine. Tony and I already got it back."

The wind taken out of his sails, Clint settled and gave Steve a sympathetic look. "So, you going to try again?" he asked.

Steve sighed; he had thought about that question all night. It hadn't been the greatest of experiences, but that feeling of incompleteness still tugged at him… There was still something missing. "Yeah, I guess…" he answered. "Can't let one bad experience ruin everything, right?"

Clint gave him a winning smile, "Very true, Cap. Very true."

-#-#-#-

Despite his decision to try again, Steve didn't get around to setting up another date until the following week. He'd been receiving e-mails steadily, but had politely declined more often than not.

One did catch his attention, though – a curvy redhead named Jennifer. She planned the date this time; Steve was to meet her at a club of some sort for a drink. He'd agreed and they had arranged to meet on Friday at eight.

As the appointed day approached, though, he was beginning to have second thoughts. Friday night found him agitated and once more pacing Tony's lab.

Meanwhile the inventor calmly worked on his latest project, a better communication system. "DUM-E, get the man a drink," Tony ordered as the bot moved to obey. "Steve, relax. You'll be fine."

Blue eyed stared at him balefully. "I'm calling it off," Steve said firmly, reaching for his phone.

Tony shook his head. "You'll be fine and you won't be far away," he reassured the other man. "If anything happens, which I seriously doubt, then just give me a call. I'll be here all night, Fury's breathing down my neck to get this done."

The big blond paused, "You promise?"

Chuckling, the older man held up a hand, "Cross my arc."

Reassured Tony would be there if he needed him, Steve smiled at the little joke.

Meanwhile, Tony couldn't keep his eyes from wandering; Steve had said Clint had helped him dress for the night, and it showed. His jeans were tight, fitting in all the right places, while his white, collared polo was bordering on see-through. It just wasn't fair for a man to look as good as Steve did.

"Ok. Well, I'm off then. Wish me luck," Steve said as walked towards the door.

Tony waved as in response as he departed. "You don't need luck. Anyone would be lucky to have you," he mumbled to himself, not wanting to delve too much into that telling comment.

-#-#-#-

Steve glanced from the paper with the address to the building itself. Confirming he had the right place, he waited patiently outside, already able to hear the loud music thumping inside. He shifted nervously from foot to foot, jamming his hands in his leather coat, trying to be optimistic; there was no way it could be as bad as last time.

Just at eight o'clock, Steve heard a soft, melodic voice call his name. He turned, immediately spotting the woman as light from the club illuminated her distinctive hair.

"Jennifer," he greeted her.

She smiled up at him dreamily, "Please call me Morning Star." The big blond blinked; this was off to a great start. "Come, shall we go inside?" she opened the door and looked at him expectantly. Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, Steve followed her in.

The dark place was packed, full of people wearing a lot of make up and a lot of black clothing. The sinking feeling in his chest was getting worse by the moment; then Jennifer shrugged out of her long black coat and Steve _knew_ he was in trouble. Her skin looked unnaturally pale as she, too, was clad all in black; sharp, pointed teeth peeked from behind her red lips as she smirked at him.

Steve hesitantly joined her at the bar as she ordered something that looked blood red in its glass. Swallowing, he glanced around at the club's other occupants. Some were dancing rather oddly; others were scattered amongst chairs, lounging together, and if Steve didn't know any better it looked like people were… making love…

Blue eyes widened as he turned back his date, blushing furiously. Jennifer smirked at him hungrily as she ran a black lacquered fingertip down his chest teasingly before her hand settled firmly on his crotch. Too stunned to move, Steve could do no more than whimper as she leaned in close, biting his ear hard, "I want to bite you… suck your blood…"

Gasping, he jumped up, overwhelmed by what was happening. Mumbling that he needed to use the bathroom, Steve fled to the back of the club. He locked himself in a stall and he pulled out his cell phone, clutching it tight as he waited for the voice on the other end.

"Steve?" Tony's voice seemed distant and far away as Steve strained to hear over the music. "What is it? Where are you?"

Steve could barely hear him, but answered as well as he could, "I don't know… it's… Tony, it's not good."

"Stay put," Tony ordered. "I'll be right there."

Steve hung up with no intention of leaving the stall until Tony came for him.

The hero in question locked onto the GPS signal of Steve's phone, driving rather recklessly towards the beacon. Trying to remain calm, he soon reached the club, which looked relatively benign on the outside.

Once he hurried in, though, he took it all in at a glance, "Well, fuck me sideways."

The populace was in black and heavy makeup, several orgies were happening in the corner, and he caught a glimpse of pointed teeth as someone walked by. He groaned; Steve had managed to get another weirdo. And the big, innocent blond was definitely going to be scarred for life after this one.

Not spotting the super soldier right away, Tony headed to the logical location of the man; he was hiding in the bathroom. Pushing open the door he called out, "Steve? You in here?" The bathroom was just as dark as the club, so he squinted as he heard a stall door squeak open.

"Tony?" Steve called out hesitantly.

"Present," Tony answered. Stepping into the bathroom proper, Tony moved to stand by the sink as Steve crept out of his hiding place. Tony bit his lip, suppressing a smile. "You certainly know how to pick them," he commented dryly.

Steve sighed, slumping next to him. "I know," he groaned.

Trying not to laugh Tony slung an arm over his shoulders, "Come on, I'll buy you a drink." As he steered them out, they passed the bar where Steve spotted his date sitting pressed up against another man. Taking advantage of her distraction, he made good his escape.

Back in the cool night air, he followed Tony down the block.

"Maybe this will be more to your liking," Tony grinned, holding the door open for the taller man.

As Steve stepped through, a smile crept across his face – it was an authentic British pub in the middle of New York. He turned to Tony, unable to properly voice his happiness. "Tony, I…" he trailed, off searching for the words.

"Don't need to say it, Cap. Come on, first round is on me," Tony reassured him.

After they were settled in the corner booth with a pitcher of beer, Tony poured them each a glass. Drink held aloft, Tony toasted, "To the second date."

Steve laughed and shook his head, "To the second date."

Both laughed at Steve's crazy night and took a gulp of beer. Steve hummed in appreciation, while Tony looked to the side, checking the score of the baseball game on TV.

Steve sighed happily, leaning back against the comfy leather booth; the pub was quiet and small, not overly busy – this was more like it. Still smiling, he watched as Tony snorted in disgust and turned back, shaking his head and mumbling angrily about the Sox's poor performance.

Steve smiled, "Red Sox fan?"

Nodding, Tony took another sip of beer, "Yeah, went to the dark side when I was at MIT."

Steve grinned widely, "We're going to have problems then, Stark. I'm a Yankee's fan, born and bred."

Tony groaned theatrically, "Of course you are, Spangles. You and your apple pie smile…" That got them going as they traded good-natured jabs and insults, draining the pitcher and asking for another.

They talked sports, moving to books and art, Steve enjoying himself immensely. He felt somewhat embarrassed at having mentally written Tony off. "I owe you an apology, Tony," he said. "I had you pinned as strictly a science and numbers man."

Chuckling, the darker haired man drained his glass and poured them each another. "I am. Don't tell anyone I'm into Monet and Hemmingway or I'll lose all my street cred."

Grinning, Steve crossed his heart, "Promise."

As his smile faded, he slipped into a pensive mood. Leaning in, elbows on the table, he finally mustered the courage to ask Tony the question that had really been bothering him, "That place, the other one, what was that?"

Across the table, Tony was buzzing pleasantly, not drunk but still feeling pretty good. "Ahhh, I was wondering when you'd ask that one," he started. "Not an easy answer – even I'm not 100% sure – but from my understanding it's the backlash of those stupid _Twilight_ books. People think they're actually vampires."

Steve opened and closed his mouth a few times. "What?" he finally managed.

Tony smiled, "Sorry, lots of stuff going on in that ramble. You know about mythological vampires, yes? Dracula?" Steve nodded. "Well, over the years, it's become rather romanticized. It's in fashion to imagine yourself a vampire," Tony explained.

Steve was completely out to lunch; he knew about vampires and he had read Bram Stoker's _Dracula, _but people wanted to be monsters?

"Yeah, I know, it's hard to explain," Tony started rambling again. "The point is that people at the club there sort of pretend, or in some cases legitimately believe, they are vampires."

Shaking his head in disbelief, the man from another time gave Tony a bewildered look. "Sometimes I think I'm beginning to get a handle on things, and then…" he trailed off, frowning.

Tony took another swallow. "Look, if it makes you feel better, sometimes I have trouble grappling with all the labelling and defining of things, too. Seems like every time you turn around there's a new sub or counter culture, fetish, obsession, whatever. But I suppose that's the good thing about living in the free world – you can be and do whatever you want."

Steve was silent a long moment, thinking pensively, "You mean like people being," he looked around carefully, dropping his voice, "Gay?"

Draining his glass and pouring another, the smaller man chuckled, "Being gay is old news. Gays are now recognized in the military, they can marry, they can adopt, and all the rest. Nobody thinks twice about it." Tony gestured with his glass, "I'm talking about the out there things, like people who dress up as giant stuffed animals or spend their lives as latex human furniture." Tony laughed, pausing when he saw the stunned look on the man in front of him. "What'd I miss?" he asked as his brow furrowed in confusion. "Was it the latex human furniture thing? Because that was a joke – mostly. I swear."

Steve just shook his head, trying to come to grips with what Tony was saying; it was a lot to take in at one time.

The Captain looked across the table at his companion as the inventor gave him a curious look. Then, before he could reconsider, the soldier was suddenly speaking, telling Tony Stark a secret he had long ago buried in fear.

Here, in a secluded booth in the future, Steve confided something he'd never told a living soul, "I had a friend in service. He wasn't one of my Commandos, but not for lack of trying. He was army, an officer, and a true gentleman. I met him after freeing the prisoners from the Hydra factory and I remember vividly thinking he looked very handsome."

Steve was blushing badly now and Tony didn't dare move, hardly believing what he was hearing. "I saw him twice after that before my plane went down. He was… he was amazing, courageous, kind, everything a man should be." Having confessed, Steve looked away, already wondering why the hell he had opened his mouth in the first place.

"Steve," Tony said gently, waiting until embarrassed blue eyes eventually looked at him. "Steve, did you and this guy have a relationship?" he asked softly. He wasn't laughing, wasn't mocking; there was no sneer, just acceptance.

"No… no, just talking, and…" he trailed off as his blush returned.

"And?" the billionaire gently prompted.

"A kiss," he confessed, looking stricken at his friend.

Tony reached out gently taking a large hand in his own callused ones, feeling the soldier tremble, "Steve… do you prefer men to women?"

Steve had been dreading the question, mainly because he had no real answer to it. He had liked Robert, but he had also liked Peggy, "Yes… no… I don't know."

Tony was smiling at him, squeezing his hand, "Steve, it's no big deal. You can like both, people call it 'bisexual' now." The big man felt hope rising in his chest as Tony continued, "I mean, I've been with a couple of men. It's no big deal. If you like them and they like you… a connection is a connection, no matter the gender."

Releasing his hand, Tony gave the man across from him a lopsided smile, "Maybe you should try a date with a guy from the website instead. You haven't been having much luck with the ladies."

Laughing, Steve raised his glass and gave him a salute, "Maybe you're right, I've had a few men e-mail me."

Tony ignored the jealous pang that tore across his chest, "It's not fair, Spangles, you and your all American good looks. We mere mortals don't stand a chance."

Blushing, he gave Tony a shy smile. Steve was feeling good, lighter; he had confessed and found acceptance and understanding.

As they sat, laughed, and drank, Steve felt that something missing beginning to fill.

-#-#-#-

"What happened to you?" Bruce asked as he joined the pair at the kitchen table.

Steve was reading the paper per usual, looking fresh and ready for the day. Tony, on the other hand, was draped across the table, unkempt, wearing sunglasses, and looking somewhat sickly in the bright light.

"Went drinking with Captain America," Tony mumbled, wincing when it made his head ache.

Chuckling unrepentantly, Steve turned the page of his paper.

"Thought you had a date?" Bruce asked, noting the slump of wide shoulders and the wince. "That good, eh?"

Tony muttered, "Took him to one of those vampire clubs." Bruce laughed loudly at that, though he quieted when the hung-over man moaned and clutched his head.

"You're getting old, Stark. Can't roll with the young crowd anymore," Clint said, rounding the corner and smirking widely.

"Stuff it, Hunger Games. I'm in my prime."

Joining them at the table, Clint arched a brow, "Oh, sure. Last I saw in your file, you were on the wrong side of thirty-eight."

A blood shot eye pinned him over dark sunglasses. "Oh yeah? What about father time here?" he said as he gestured to Steve.

"He has a point," Steve said. "I'll be 93 in July."

Tony chuckled, "See?"

Amused, Bruce sat back and crossed his arms, "Let's do some math. When we subtract the 68 years he was frozen, Steve is a grand total of 25 years old."

Clint laughed uproariously as Tony winced.

"Ouch, my pride," Tony said as he finally picked himself off the table and stood, only staggering a bit. "Well, I've had enough abuse for one day," he called as he disappeared out the door.

Steve watched him go, smiling a little. He hadn't really thought about his age; he felt 93 most days in this time, but he guessed he was still rather young.

"So, another bust of a date?" Clint asked. "You going to try for lucky number three?"

Steve quirked his lips, "Yeah think I will."

-#-#-#-

Down in his lab, Tony stared at his screens and sipped his patented hangover shake. He pulled a face as he drank the thick, foul-tasting concoction. Sometimes he didn't know why he bothered; the cure was almost as bad as the illness.

He should be working, but was having trouble focusing at the moment – and not just because of his pounding head. Last night had been… Well, it had been amazing. He'd enjoyed his whole night with Steve – drinking, talking, relaxing.

Good friends out together.

Tony liked spending time with Steve. He liked that he was the one he called when Steve was in trouble. And he'd be lying if he said it wasn't a nice feeling that Captain America called on him for help and comfort…

So why did he feel like he was missing something?

Tony frowned at a sudden thought; maybe he didn't want to be just friends.

"All this thinking makes my head hurt," he finally mumbled as he spun a design on the holo screen.

He had just called up the files for a new prototype when the alarm sounded. Ignoring his throbbing head, he was up in a moment running for his suit.


	4. Third Date

Author's Note: Enjoy my unapologetic fluff! Big shout out to my beta ravingbeauty! Thanks so much!

Something Missing

Part 4 – Third Date

"Not on your game today, old man," Clint grunted over the comm unit.

"Clint, shut your whore mouth or I will delete all your CoD data," Tony shot back; smirking, he heard a faint whimper as his threat found its target.

Dodging out of the way of one of the attacking creatures, Tony cursed quietly. Clint had unfortunately been right on the mark. They had been fighting the majority of the day and the strain was beginning to take its toll. He was tired, and though he'd deny it to the end, his body was aching with the strain; maybe he was getting old.

The loud crash of thunder heralded the arrival of Thor, announcing his arrival in a typically dramatic fashion, "Lo, comrades, allow me to dispatch these foes." In response the Hulk roared with either happiness or rage; it was difficult to know.

The exuberant blond was making short work of the remaining baddies when Tony paused, trying not to wheeze too audibly.

"Ok, Tony?" the soft voice of their fearless leader asked. Glancing down, Tony spotted the blond soldier, looking just as tired and worn out as he felt.

"Feeling old, Spangles. Just feeling old," he answered.

The Captain chuckled, "I don't think you're that old." Smiling to himself, Tony felt warmth spread through his chest at the comment.

Abruptly a loud, excited roar from Hulk drew Tony's attention; he looked up in time to see the big guy fling one of the remaining creatures into a rather decrepit building. The impact was the straw that broke the camel's back. As it teetered precariously, Tony knew in a second that Steve was in the path of the falling structure.

"Steve!" he shouted, diving as surprised blue eyes looked up at him in question. With no time to grab him, Tony hit the Cap hard, sending him flying backwards just as the crushing weight of steel and concrete collapsed – onto Tony.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion – Steve heard Tony yelling one moment and the next he was flying through the air. Winded from landing flat on his back, he rolled to his side, watching in horror as Iron Man disappear under a mountain of rubble. A cloud of dust rolled across him, obscuring his vision as his mind rebelled.

"Tony?" Steve's voice came out in a hoarse croak. "Tony?"

The comm eerily silent.

Panic beginning to settle in his stomach. "Tony!" Steve yelled, scrambling to his feet and hurrying to the last spot he had seen Iron Man before the collapse. Heaving rocks mindlessly, he frantically began to dig.

"Clint, Tasha, get Thor and Hulk over here – a building fell on Tony," he ordered. The others were quick to join in, digging quickly. After what seemed like hours, Hulk shifted a large section of concrete, revealing the Iron Man suit.

"Tony?" Steve tried again. The armour was still and lifeless as he lay motionless, but the flickering blue glow of the arc reactor gave Steve hope.

Hulk yanked the faceplate off with a roar, rousing the dazed and bloodied man.

Steve felt his panic slowly begin to ebb. "Tony, are you ok?" he asked as he reached out and gently wiped blood from under Tony's eye.

The man in the suit moaned attempting to sit up. "Great, thought I'd have a little nap," he joked hoarsely.

After they managed to pull the rest of the debris off and free the rest of the suit, Steve and Clint carefully tugged Tony upright. Leaning heavily against the super soldier, Tony rested for just a moment.

"You look like you've seen better days, Stark," Clint half joked.

"Yeah, well, a building just fell on me," Tony rasped. Taking a step forward, he nearly fell on his face when his right leg gave way.

Captain America caught him just in time and slung one metal arm around his shoulders as he gripped Tony's waist. "Broken?" he asked.

"Could be, hurts like a bitch."

Blue eyes took in Tony's pale face, pinched with pain under the blood that dripped steadily from the bridge of his nose. "We'd better get you back to medical," Cap decided as he helped the limping man towards the plane.

Steve was silent as they headed back towards SHIELD, thoughts swirling around in his mind. Tony had saved him, pushed him out of the way of the falling building. The realization made the soldier both happy and completely confused.

He glanced to where the object of his confusion sat across from him. Bruce was helping to remove Tony's battered armour, checking limbs as he went. Tony must have made some joke because Bruce was laughing and, despite the pain, the billionaire was wearing his trademark smirk.

Steve felt an irrational flare of jealousy – he wanted to be the one to laugh with Tony. He wanted to horde away every smirk, every laugh, every one of his stupid little jokes. He wanted to sit beside him, assure him he would be ok, hold his hand through the pain –

That last thought made him backpedal… hold his hand?

-#-#-#-

Soon they were touching down at base, the medical team already standing by as Bruce helped Tony limp towards the waiting wheel chair. Steve followed a little further behind, still grappling with his unruly feelings as they wheeled Iron Man away.

"Don't worry, Steve, he'll be fine. I don't think the leg is broken," Bruce's tone was calm and reassuring despite his dirty, dishevelled appearance.

Distracted and uncomprehending, the soldier blinked a moment as he formulated an appropriate response, "Thanks, Bruce."

The older man paused and gave him a worried once-over, "You ok, Steve?"

Nodding slowly, Steve shook himself, returning to the here and now, "Yes. Sorry, just worried."

Unconvinced, the doctor let it go. "They're going to check him over. Go get cleaned up," he recommended as he patted the Cap on the back and departed.

Steve, still a confused mess, followed slowly.

-#-#-#-

Tony hated hospitals, doctors, nurses… the whole lot of them.

His natural aversion to doctors exacerbated by an impromptu surgery in Afghanistan, Tony wasn't the most cooperative of patients.

He whined and complained continuously as various medical personnel closed the cut over the bridge of his nose, stitched up a gash on his left arm, and x-rayed his leg. While it wasn't broken, there was a hairline fracture that earned him a cumbersome brace and crutches. The rest was just bumps, bruises, and a minor concussion, the suit having saved him from much greater injuries.

Having had his fill of medical, Tony muttered and grumbled as he attempted to win a fight with a pair of sweatpants. Trying to get the pant leg over the brace, but had to pause repeatedly as each movement caused pain to flare in his leg and stitched arm.

-#-#-#-

Captain America took his time cleaning up before reluctantly heading to the debriefing. All through the meeting, though, his mind was a million miles away. Trying to process his reaction to Tony saving him, his utter panic when the other man was buried. Steve couldn't fathom being in this time without Tony – didn't even want to think of it.

Tony was his best friend and had come to mean more to him than he would have ever thought possible. He was a smartass, loud and confident, but he was also patient and incredibly selfless; when Steve needed him, he was always there.

He was still unsure an hour later when he entered the hospital room only to be greeted by the sight of Tony Stark wearing nothing save a pair of tight red boxer briefs.

He froze, eyes widening. All the breath left his chest at once, as blood ran to other parts of his anatomy. Tony usually wore several layers of clothing when he wasn't in the safety of his lab, but Steve had seen him shirtless a time or two. But he'd never seen Tony stripped down to his underwear, as he was now. The billionaire was all wiry muscle, fit and handsome.

Steve swallowed thickly at the sight.

Tony was still fighting with his pants when he spotted the unmoving figure. He was about make a sassy comment, ask if Steve liked what he saw, but Steve's expression gave him pause. If he didn't know any better, he would say the big man wanted to devour him – it was pure lust. The knowledge raised all sorts of hell with his mind and body.

As blue eyes met deep brown, they froze in an almost intimate tableau, the tension thick enough to cut. There was nothing save the two of them in the world.

Then the squeak of rubber soles on the floor broke the moment, reminding them they were indeed still in the infirmary.

"Could you maybe give me a hand?" Tony's voice was low, gravelly, heated.

Steve found himself approaching. He could see where the hem of his pants was caught on the brace that stretched from knee to his ankle. Slowly he knelt before the smaller man, easily pulling the pants up over the brace, barely resisting the wild urge to kiss Tony's knee. Task completed, Steve looked up into dark, unreadable eyes.

"Thanks," Tony said as Steve pulled back, allowing the injured man to stand and tug the pants the rest of the way up, waistband riding low on those lean hips.

Disappointed, Steve turned his attention to Tony's leg, which was badly bruised and blackening. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he stood.

Tony pulled a t-shirt on, silently wondering why he was putting more clothes on when all he wanted to do was take them off. "Like a building fell on me," he joked.

Steve grinned, "Ready to go home? Doc's released you."

Tony nodded empathetically, "Most definitely. Pass me those crutches there, ice man." As Tony tucked the crutches under his arms, they headed out of the room.

-#-#-#-

Steve drove them back to the Tower, borrowing one of the many SUVs from the SHIELD garage.

"Others already back?" the inventor asked, stifling a wide yawn, as they headed upwards in the elevator.

"Yeah," Steve answered. "They got back a while ago."

Tony nodded, "Thanks for waiting for me,"

Steve leaned on the wall beside him, invading his personal space. "Thank you for saving me today."

Tony looked away and shrugged, "You'd do the same for me." Uncomfortable with the praise, he beat a hasty retreat out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.

Tony smelled the pizza before he could see it; following his nose, Tony hobbled into the kitchen as his stomach growled noisily. "Hell yeah!" he said as Steve entered behind him, seeing the pizza boxes waiting.

"Get a plate and come on in. We're watching a movie," Natasha called as Steve got them both plates and loaded them up. Tony smiled gratefully as Steve carried the plates in, while the injured man gamely limped behind.

The others were already spread out; Clint and Natasha had the couch, Bruce was in what had become his La-Z-Boy, and Thor had claimed the other armchair, though he tended to get riled and move about while watching movies. That left only the loveseat for Steve and Tony. Leaning his crutches against the couch, Tony accepted his plate of pizza as Steve settled down beside him.

"What are we watching?" the wounded man asked as the previews ended and the opening credits began to roll. Then the music started and Tony grinned as he recognized it.

"Jurassic Park," Clint supplied.

Steve glanced at him blankly.

"You'll see," Tony said as he winked at the man from another time, not missing the blush that spread across his cheeks.

Finished eating, Steve returned their plates to the kitchen returning to his spot beside Tony on the sofa, a little closer now, almost touching – not that Tony minded.

Bruce, settled comfortably in his chair, glanced over. "Make sure to elevate that leg," he advised.

Tony gave him a withering look as he replied, "Yes, mother."

Steve chuckled and carefully picked up Tony's legs, settling them comfortably in his lap. Tony could only stare in surprise.

"Ok?" Steve asked. The smaller man nodded and settled, as they both turned their attention to the movie. Weary, Tony snuggled deeper into the couch and the warmth of the man beside him. The exhaustion of battle and his wounds lulling him to sleep before the dinosaurs even showed up.

Tony awoke hours later when Steve tried to rouse him.

"Bedtime?" Tony mumbled sleepily as he glanced towards the stairs. It seemed like way too much effort. Farther off, he could hear the others calling out good nights as Thor told anyone who would listen that he had seen these so-called dinosaurs before. Stretching, he winced as his sore body protested the movement. "G'night," he muttered, curling closer to the love seat.

"Tony, you should sleep in bed or you'll be sorer than you already are," Steve said softly.

A dark eye glared balefully up at him as Tony slurred, "S'far."

Smirking, the soldier slid his arms under the smaller man, easily lifting him into his arms. Steve grinned down at the sleepy billionaire as he paused to grab the crutches. Too tired to protest the warm arms, Tony curled in towards the bigger man, sighing in contentment as he was carried to his room. Tony fast asleep by the time Steve gently tucked him into bed. Pausing a moment to brush back dark hair, Steve felt his heart flip in his chest.

The truth he'd been running from for weeks finally catching up with him – he had fallen for Anthony Stark.

-#-#-#-

"So, how's the dating game going?" Clint asked as he settled beside the man gently balancing his laptop on his knees.

"Ok," Steve answered as he scrolled through e-mails from the dating website. He hadn't checked them in days.

"You thinking of giving it another go?"

Steve shrugged. It had been a week since Tony saved him from the building and his own heart betrayed him. What he wanted wasn't some stranger, it was his best friend. Terrified Tony would hate him if he found out. Scared, he had wrestled with himself, deciding that perhaps he should go on another date, try and meet someone new; then he could forget about his teammate and friend, preserve what they had.

"Was thinking about it," he muttered in reply to Clint's query. The archer chuckled, giving him a pat on the back as he departed.

Steve sifted through the messages; many were from women, all lovely, and no doubt very nice.

Then he paused as one in particular grabbed his attention. It wasn't a woman; it was a man. No picture, just a simple message asking him to dinner Friday at eight. It was the final line of the message that seized his attention:

_I'll wait for you._

Curiosity piqued, he made a decision there and then to go. After his first two dates he couldn't imagine this one would be worse. Glancing at the time, he nodded; it was approaching five. He closed the computer and headed to his room; he'd get ready first, then tell Tony he was going out again, just in case.

-#-#-#-

Down in his lab, Tony rolled from place to place on his wheelie chair, ignoring the crutches propped against the nearby table. He barked orders at the boys as a general would, absently scratching at the stitches in his arm. He'd already pulled them twice and had to track down Bruce to fix them because he kept bleeding on his work. Steve had given him holy hell for pulling them, and Tony had only suffered though the lecture because it was Steve giving it.

The genius billionaire had come to a revelation the day after he'd awoken in his bed with a vague memory of Steve carrying him; he had fallen for the big lug. He'd thought it was friendship, bromance, hero-worship even. But by the end of the week, he had accepted the undeniable truth – he was head over heels for Steve Rogers.

"Tony?"

Tony paused at the familiar voice. "Hey, St-," the words stuck in his throat as he caught sight of the man, eyes widening. His dark denim jeans were fitted, accenting and highlighting the already perfect form; the blue dress shirt was unable to hide the broadness of his shoulders or dim the blueness of his eyes. He looked like a fantasy come true.

"Do I look ok?" he asked, suddenly self-conscious when Tony simply stared and said nothing.

"Yeah," Tony breathed, looking away to collect himself. "What's the occasion?"

Steve shifted, looking at his feet, "I, umm… I'm going on a date."

Tony cocked his head. "Oh, yeah? Who's the lucky lady?" he asked heart beating wildly in his chest.

"Not a lady," Steve mumbled, blushing.

Tony didn't say anything for a long moment; he didn't want Steve to go out with anyone else, he wanted Steve to go out with him. "Well, good luck," he tried to smile, but it fell flat.

Suddenly Steve didn't want to go; he wanted to stay with Tony, here in the lab, content to be by his side. "Guess I'd better get going," he said softly, but his heart was crying out for Tony to give him a reason to stay.

The silence was awkward as the air hung heavy with words left unsaid.

"Ok," Tony said simply and turned back to his work, while Steve left quietly, heart heavy, feeling the sting of rejection acutely.

-#-#-#-

Steve dragged his feet getting to the restaurant, taking the long way as he grappled with his jumble of feelings. The date had utterly lost its lustre; he wanted to go back to the lab, back to Tony.

Steve turned to do just that but paused when his conscience spoke up. He should go to the date, explain, and then leave; it was the only proper thing to do. The man had said he'd be waiting. Glancing at his watch, he realized he was already and picked up his pace, now cursing himself. He was never late; damn Tony for getting him all out of sorts.

He ran the rest of the way, barely winded as he approached the hostess; she looked up, smiling widely at him. "I'm supposed to meet someone…" he trailed off as she gestured towards a table where a lone figure sat, hidden behind a menu. Smiling his thanks, Steve moved towards the table rehearsing what he'd say in his head. He'd apologize first and then explain he couldn't do this.

Awkwardly Steve slid into the seat, "Sorry for being late, I thought I should just…" The rest of his little speech died on his lips as the person lowered the menu. Steve finally able to see his face, a very familiar smirking face – Tony. He gasped, all the breath leaving him.

Looking dashing and handsome, Tony quirked a dark eyebrow saying nothing.

A beautiful smile split the younger man's face. "I was hoping it was you," Steve confessed, unsure whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

Tony reached across the table and gripped a big hand in his own. "Glad to hear it," he said as he met the blue eyes from across the table. "Hungry?"

Laughing, Steve nodded, "Very much so."


	5. Missing Piece

Author's Note: Another story completed! Nice little fluffy feel good piece. This part however is solidly smutty. WARNING MAN-MAN LOVING, don't like don't read.

Big thanks to ravingbeauty for getting another done for me many thanks!

Something Missing

Part 5 – Missing Piece

"Tony, can I ask you something?" Steve queried as they headed towards their rooms in the Tower. Dinner had been wonderfully romantic, his date going right for the first time.

"Shoot," Tony replied, shifting his weight as he leaned on his crutches.

"How come you sent the e-mail?"

Tony grinned as the doors dinged open, "You should know by now Steve, I have a flare for the dramatic."

Chuckling, Steve followed the limping figure out, "But you couldn't be sure I would come."

Tony paused, turning to face him in the dark hallway. "I hoped your curiosity would get the best of you," he whispered. "If it didn't work out, I am nothing if not persistent." Moving closer to Steve, Tony balanced on one leg as he tugged the other man towards him; the taller bending slightly. They met somewhere in the middle.

Their first kiss was short, chaste, but incredibly powerful. Steve had been kissed before, but this was nothing like his stolen moment with Robert. They parted, Tony waited for some reaction from the other man.

Smiling, Steve closed the distance between them again. This kiss was more heated, deepening as their tongues duelled for supremacy. Tony groaned taking a step forward, pressing closer, completely forgetting about his bad leg. Pain flared sharply, gasping he pulled away from the kiss. Automatically reaching out to grip Steve's arms, the super soldier supporting him, easily taking the extra weight.

"Sorry for ruining the mood," Tony mumbled, looking angry with himself.

The blond gave him a sweet smile, "Not at all."

Tony wrapped his arms around Steve's neck the soldier easily lifting him. "My hero," he teased as Steve carried him up the stairs to the billionaire's room.

As Steve set him down on the bed, the genius looked sullen and put out. "What's wrong?" Steve asked as he settled beside the injured man on the comfy monstrosity.

"Well," Tony answered, "Usually about now I jump you and we spend the rest of the night bumping uglies." At Steve's confused look, Tony grinned and clarified, "Having sex."

Steve went from his normal skin colour to red in a heartbeat, looking down at his hands. "We, ummm… we can wait…" he mumbled.

Tony leaned into him, chuckling, "Going to have to, Spangles. My leg isn't going to let me do much of anything." Glancing down, Steve looked at Tony's leg where the brace pulled the denim snug over Tony's swollen leg. "Doesn't mean we can't fool around a bit, though," Tony breathed as he pulled Steve into a slow, leisurely kiss.

Steve smiled, "Yeah?"

Tony chuckled tugging off his shirt, filling the room with blue light as his arc reactor was uncovered. Steve paused for a moment to look curiously at the mechanical inlay.

The genius hesitated, seeing those beautiful eyes drop to his chest; he reached up to cover his hardware self-consciously. "Sorry, I'll put my shirt back on…" he apologized.

Tony was moving to tug the white t-shirt back on when Steve stopped him, "No, don't. I'd like to see." Blinking in surprise, Tony nodded slowly, allowing Steve to study the device. "Can I touch it?" he asked hesitantly.

Tony nodded, "Yeah."

They fell back onto the bed Tony stretching out. Steve leaned on his elbow, carefully tracing the edge of the reactor, where metal and skin met. The shorter man shivered, biting his lip to keep from moaning at the erotic feeling.

No one touched his arc reactor. Pepper had flat out refused after the one time he'd asked for help. During his few romantic encounters since then, he had never taken his shirt off; as a result, they were usually quick, dark, and impersonal, with the girls leaving soon afterwards.

It was the most vulnerable part of him and he guarded it closely. With Steve, though, there was no hesitation, no disgust – just acceptance.

Tony was drawn from his reverie when a warm palm fanned against the light and Steve smiled down at him; Tony reached out, unbuttoning the soldier's shirt. Pushing it off wide shoulders, the material pooling around his elbows. Tony scooted closer they were kissing again, hands exploring and memorizing, warm flesh shivering under every touch and caress.

Tony forgetting himself tried to roll closer, his injury protesting painfully. Breaking away, he cursed abruptly sitting up.

Steve sat as well, kissing Tony's neck comfortingly until the pain began to subside and the dark haired man slumped forward miserably. "You should rest, Tony. It'll help you heal," he murmured against the warm skin.

"Only if you stay," Tony answered as he reached up to grip Steve's arm with a strong hand.

"Wasn't going anywhere."

Grinning, Tony bent slowly and, with Steve's help, began to work the brace off of his leg. When Tony finally wriggled free of his jeans, the blond hissed in sympathy at the sight of the terribly bruised limb.

"Oh, Tony…" Steve mumbled as he carefully strapped the brace back on, at last giving into his compulsion; tenderly kissing his knee. Tony started in surprise and Steve was gratified to see him blush faintly. Grinning, he tugged off his socks, leaving the smaller man nude save for his boxer briefs, brace, and gauze-wrapped arm.

"Your turn," Tony said, voice gravelly, as he looked up at Steve. Reaching out to undo the larger man's pants, the genius grinned wickedly at the very noticeable bulge in the cornflower blue boxers. He could barely restrain himself from touching as Steve tugged off his pants and climbed into bed.

Tony groused and grumbled as they arranged themselves in the large bed. He had never felt more frustrated in his life. This was torture, plain and simple, to be so close and not be able to do anything about it.

Chucking, Steve spooned the smaller man pulling the smaller frame close, mindful of his injured leg. Feeling him sigh heavily as he settled into the embrace, Steve kissed his dark hair and murmured, "Goodnight, Tony."

The blond rested a hand against the blue glow and sighed contentedly as the emptiness in his chest began to fade away.

-#-#-#-

He was in agony, utter and true agony – and it had only been a week. A week pressed against the sexy as hell Captain America every night, waking every morning with a raging hard on. All because of his damn leg.

Sighing, Tony slumped over his workbench and stared at the hated brace, visible where his loose sweat pants were hiked up past the knee. It was looking better, but it still had a long way to go. He wished he had Steve's crazy healing abilities.

The thought of the big man brought a soft smile to his face. He supposed he couldn't really be all that mad. After all, he did get to wake up to Steve every morning.

At that very moment, the man on Tony's mind was worried.

Steve was supposed to be paying attention to the trainees running drills, but his mind was on Tony. Their new relationship was in its infant stages, Steve giddily excited to wake next to someone every morning. And at night Tony was there as well; making it a point to try and come to bed at a reasonable hour.

Something was off, though, for both of them. There was a tension, thick and hard to define. Steve felt it acutely but couldn't quite understand what it was. Frowning, he stared intently at his feet.

"Hey, Cap, how are things going with your old man?" Clint asked as striding up grinning.

Steve glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. "He's not an old man," he defended his boyfriend.

The archer took his measure, laughing, "Oh, no? Looks like he still hasn't been able to seal the deal."

Steve frowned, not understanding the phrasing.

"Good god, you two still haven't had sex yet."

Steve blinked at him as everything clicked into place – the frustration, that strange awkward tension between them, it all made sense. Not that he didn't want to; having done his research like any good soldier, he was very much eager to. His hesitation had been in deference to Tony's injuries. But what if they took that out of the equation? Steve was a strategizer, a planner, and a tactician – why hadn't he thought it out before?

Glancing at the clock, he grinned when he saw it was almost lunch, "I have to go, be back in a bit?"

Clint eyed him warily, "I don't want to know."

Steve's smile got wider.

-#-#-#-

"JARVIS re-run that simulation again and this time account for varying degrees of wind." Tony frowned at the arrow, a project Clint had asked him to look into. It had seemed easy enough at the outset, but as he was fast learning, it wasn't so simple. Fingers tapping restlessly, he watched the screen as the AI went through all the lines of code again.

"Sir, Captain Rogers is home," JARVIS announced.

Tony frowned; he had programmed the system to alert him when Steve returned from work. "It's not that late already, is it?"

"No, sir. It is only just past noon."

Worried now, Tony wheeled toward his crutches; something must be up for Steve to be home so early. He was just about to grab them when Steve entered the lab, looking ruggedly dashing in what Tony assumed were workout clothes.

"Steve, is everythin-," Tony was cut off, much to his surprise, by a harsh, demanding kiss.

It took Tony a fraction of a second to catch up and wrap his arms around the soldier's neck. He shuddered as he felt the strong hands smooth down his back and settle on his hips. Having kissed Tony until he was dazed and breathless, Steve abruptly pulled back. Tony had just opened his mouth to ask what was happening when Steve tugged the inventors t-shirt off before making quick work of his own. And then Steve was back, kissing him again.

Tony, still seated on the chair, hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise. As long as Steve kept doing what he was doing, though, Tony really couldn't bring himself to care.

Steve gripped Tony's hips again, lifting him easily setting him on the workbench. Swallowing the smaller man's gasp, he stepped between the others legs going for his waistband. Tony tried again to speak, but could do no more than stare, wide-eyed, as Steve carefully worked his sweatpants down over his brace before stepping out of his own.

"Lube?" Steve breathed against Tony's kiss-swollen lips.

Lube? Tony was having a hard time collecting his disjointed thoughts. "Umm… hand cream, cabinet…" he managed, watching as the brawny figure moved quickly to collect it. When he returned, Tony hadn't moved an inch. Was this really happening?

Steve kissed him again, biting his lip hard as he yanked Tony's underwear, easily ripping the material off.

"Oh, my god…" Tony moaned against those lips. He had to be dreaming. He had fallen asleep at his workbench and was having the most erotic sex dream of his life.

His train of thought derailed again as Steve began working his way down his chest. Moving between muscular legs, he lifted Tony's hips; slightly titling the man back, Steve licked the weeping erection, before swallowing it thickly.

"Steve!" he cried out, ignoring his bad limb as he tried to wrap his legs around the broad shoulders. Panting, he buried his hands in soft blond locks as the man worked him, supporting his bad leg with a wide shoulder.

Blue eyes, dilated with lust, glanced up as Tony arched wantonly into Steve's mouth. Humming around Tony's length, Steve slicked up his fingers and gently pressed into his soon-to-be lover's tight opening; the smaller man inhaled sharply as the muscle gave way.

Finally caught up to where all this was going, Tony was all for it. He had perhaps pictured things going the other way, but for now… being taken by Captain America sounded like the best idea ever.

A second finger joined the first as Steve stretched him patiently; long fingers curved, searching for that spot, causing Tony to cry out when he found it.

"Steve… please, Steve…" Tony begged as he thrust into that beautiful mouth. He'd been dying for this for a week, and now that it was here…

Then the fingers were gone and Steve gave him one final lick before rising to stand between his legs again. Quickly slicking himself, he pressed forward slowly, watching the other man pant beneath him, carefully pausing when the muscle gave way and he slid inside.

Tony clenched his jaw, trying to relax. It had been a while… a long while.

But then Steve was kissing him again, distracting him, and damned if it wasn't working. He moaned at the feeling of his lover's thickness buried deep inside him. Clutching at the strong shoulders, kissing the other man harshly, Tony moved slowly, rocking lean hips against the blond's.

Groaning and panting, they moved together on the workbench, gaining speed and momentum with every movement. Their sweat-slicked bodies moved together desperately as both men simply felt one another.

Steve moved then; gripping Tony's hips, he lifted him, guiding his good leg to wrap around his waist. Tony cried out as the angle changed, deepening with each thrust. "Christ, Steve… oh, god," he moaned as Steve held him, impaling him once more. It only took a few more thrusts and Tony was shuddering his release, warm wetness spreading between them as he tightened impossibly around the big man. Steve followed moments later, shouting his own release, gripping hard enough to bruise.

As Steve collected himself, he could feel Tony panting against his neck, clinging to him tightly.

"Wow," the genius huffed, bemused.

Pulling back to kiss him sweetly, Steve hummed in agreement; Tony wincing as the other slipped from his body, a little disappointed at the loss. The big man gently set his lover on his feet, supporting him as they made their way to the shower, kissing and caressing as if they couldn't get enough of each other.

Clean and towelled off, Tony yawned widely Steve tugged his tracksuit back on. Sleepily, the billionaire sat on the couch. "Where you going?" he asked, not wanting to blond to leave, not after that.

Grinning, Steve came to sit beside him on the couch; the anxiety and tension gone now, and Steve felt like he could take on the world. "Back to work," he answered as Tony awkwardly climbed into his lap.

"Nope, you're calling in sick, staying here with me. We'll get fast food, watch movies, and later…" the genius trailed off, grinning wickedly.

"Ok," Steve chuckled as he pulled Tony close and kissed him deeply. "You know, I'm glad I went on that dating thing," he confessed as dark eyes looked at him curiously. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't have realized what I had in front of me the entire time."

Tony grinned, a faint tinge of pink about his cheeks, "You're a hopeless romantic, Rogers, but I think I like that." Curling close to Steve, he called out, "JARVIS, call in sick for Cap, would you?"

The smooth British voice replied, "Of course, sir."

Gathering Tony to him, Steve sat back, glad he had found his missing something.

End.


End file.
